Fighting Rabbits - any advise?

RE: Fighting Rabbits - any advise?

bob lehner — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 17:52:49 GMT

Knowing Michael (not that I do, except on here) 'Guinea pig died' is probably a euphemism for 'Guinea pig was served up for Sunday dinner'........????

RE: Fighting Rabbits - any advise?

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 17:50:38 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"]...if he had any agro in the pub, he'd threaten "I'll turn my rabbit on you"[/quote]I have visions of the killer bunny in Monty Python's The Holy Grail!

RE: Fighting Rabbits - any advise?

Michael Woodhouse — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 17:46:58 GMT

I guess 'Snowy' was 9. Gpig 1 lasted ~4 years. Gpig 2 lasted ~4 years. Gpig 3 outlived bunny at least a couple of years. I had a bloody pet guinea pig when I was doing my GCSEs..........

RE: Fighting Rabbits - any advise?

Gillian Mostyn — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 17:07:59 GMT

Michael.....those guinea pigs didn't live long did they? The rabbit might have been happy, but I'm not sure the guinea pigs were!

RE: Fighting Rabbits - any advise?

Hannah Wynne Richards — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 16:27:34 GMT

Slight digression. I once remember a 3 child family, in which the parents bought each child a rabbit,and put them in the same hutch - all 3 rabbits males. 1st one rabbit was brought in with a lacerated testicle, which required castration, then the samr happened to a 2nd rabbit. After I castrated the 3rd, things settled down, and they lived peaceably ever after. Luckily,the father had a sense of humour, and joked that if he had any agro in the pub, he'd threaten "I'll turn my rabbit on you"

Wynne

RE: Fighting Rabbits - any advise?

Bob Russell — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 15:55:01 GMT

Where rabbits and guinea pigs live together just make sure there is a refuge where the g pig can get away if necessary. Seemed perfectly acceptable for many years but now very non-PC!

RE: Fighting Rabbits - any advise?

Michael Woodhouse — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 13:55:11 GMT

We used to have a rabbit that lived with a guinea pig (supposedly against current recommendations). When the guinea pig died the rabbit stopped eating - in the end we bought him another guinea pig. He started eating and was fine, until the second guinea pig died. We ended up buying a 3rd guinea pig for the bloody rabbit (us as children having got sick of the rabbit and the guinea pig).

So I'd split them and buy a couple of guinea pigs. Might even red star myself.......

RE: Fighting Rabbits - any advise?

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 10:41:59 GMT

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]That's an interesting 'off the wall observation' You'd have to do the female?[/quote]I was thinking more of two males really. I'd always recommend neutering the female(s) in a mixed or same sex group.

As for the pairs thing. I agree that that rabbits should best be kept in a group but not necessarily pairs - a pair is just the minimum number for a group! IME a house rabbit with genuine human companionship is just as happy, if not happier, on its own with its human companion.

RE: Fighting Rabbits - any advise?

Neil Wheadon — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 10:32:21 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]Or neuter one and not the other so one is naturally dominant and a status quo can be established.[/quote]

That's an interesting 'off the wall observation' You'd have to do the female?

Neil

RE: Fighting Rabbits - any advise?

Neil Wheadon — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 10:30:45 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"] If the former you may find having a bigger enclosure helps with plenty of hidy holes for the victim to escape into[/quote]

I like this one

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"] If the latter, splitting the enclosure with chicken wire will stop them fighting but still able to communicate with each other. [/quote]

I have advised this in the past, but how long can you do this?[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]But who said they need to be in pairs? [/quote]

Lots of people

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/ahutchisnotenough.htm

One of the 2 main welfare recommendations, the other being 2 hops in an outdoor enclosure. I picked this reference at random but I agree with it.

I can't figure how to quote other posts but males and females also fight after neutering

Neil

RE: Fighting Rabbits - any advise?

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 10:28:52 GMT

[quote user="Robin Grimmer"]If they are same sex pairs then may still fight even if neutered, male/female neutered pairs are better.[/quote]Or neuter one and not the other so one is naturally dominant and a status quo can be established.

RE: Fighting Rabbits - any advise?

Robin Grimmer — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 10:07:17 GMT

If they are same sex pairs then may still fight even if neutered, male/female neutered pairs are better.

RE: Fighting Rabbits - any advise?

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 10:00:07 GMT

Is it one being bullied by the other or mutual aggression? If the former you may find having a bigger enclosure helps with plenty of hidy holes for the victim to escape into. If the latter, splitting the enclosure with chicken wire will stop them fighting but still able to communicate with each other.

But who said they need to be in pairs? For sure they are sociable animals but if they are knocking six bells out of each other all the time then they are best separated. Human companionship is usually a good substitute.